Joel M Bradshaw

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3Let no one deceive you in any way.–2 Thessalonians 2

In Paul’s day, people in the church were in a unique end-times position. They were chronologically closer to the time of the Gospels and thus had this perspective that the end was going to arrive soon. Thus, many began to look for Jesus’ return and expect it at any moment. We some 2000+ years later could have the same perspective, but time has nuanced our position a bit. Theologians counsel us that the return of Jesus may or not be soon, but it is NEXT on God’s calendar.

Have you heard of the ‘armchair quarterback’ who yells from his living room at his favorite football team? He thinks he could do the job better and it makes him feel better to scream at the game. Society has no shortage of end-times theorists who proclaim that Jesus has returned or that the Antichrist is here. Some give predictions of times and dates. Others say the rapture is imminently close and so get ready.

Now imagine you are that first-century church again. You might laugh off those social media ‘prophets’ today, but receiving news like that in their day was a big problem. So Paul had to warn them about deception. Especially when you consider that the Bible was still being completed with these letters from Paul, Peter, James and John.

Paul warns them to not be shaken and not be deceived by a spirit or a spoken word or a letter. Paul did not want them being deceived regarding the second coming of Christ or the rapture. He dealt with the rapture in 1 Thessalonians, and so here addresses a major matter that must occur before Jesus returns.

We get the impression that the return of Jesus will be unmistakeable to the entire world. In our instant social media age, we understand this like no other generation might. But this also means that the man of lawlessness will be something unmistakeable. There will be no conspiracy theory regarding Jesus coming back, for everyone will know. That is the idea Paul unboxes regarding the Antichrist. He will be evident and unmistakeable. He may or may not be at work literally now, but we know that the spirit of antichrist or that which naturally works against the church and the gospel of Jesus is at work in every generation from them until now.

1. Long for the return of Jesus.
2. Look for his coming.
3. Live in a biblical manner now with humility, trust, and obedience.

I recommend you don’t get caught up in channels and prophets that are designed for clicks and alarmism. 2 Thessalonians 2 gives us three basic principles.

1. .The work of the Antichrist will be unmistakable and evident.
2. The work of the Antichrist will be due to the activity of Satan.
3. There is restraint and timing at work that is exclusively under the sovereign plan of Almighty God.

So do not be deceived away from what the Bible plainly says. Certain things have simply not happened yet that need to happen before Jesus comes back. We inch closer, and all this could indeed unfold imminently, but it will be unmistakeable and clear, not debatable or confusing. Trust God and obey him in this season!–JMB